Kurt,
I'm a bit puzzled about what you are trying to achieve. Are you trying
to define Subscript[x,y] as a new piece of notation - in which case the
documentation on the Notations package is the best place to start.
Are you trying to define a function like: f[a_,b_]:=Subscript[x,y]+a+b
which returns the sum of its arguments and the term Subscript[x,y] ? If
so, then the nub of the problem is parameter naming and scope and so on.
Also Mathematica doesn't identify Subscript[x,y] with either x or y and
you can make assignments like Subscript[x,y]=Pi, so the call f[2,2]
would return 4+Pi.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Mark Westwood
Curt Fischer wrote:
>
> Dear Mathgroup:
>
> The Subscript function in Mathematica has no built-in meaning. What
> definition can I give this function to allow me to use Subscript[x,y] as
> a "stand-alone" symbol that is completely distinct from the Symbol x or
> the Symbol y? For example:
>
> In[1]:=
> \!\(f[x_, y_] := x\_y\ + \ x + y\)
>
> In[2]:=
> f[2,2]//FullForm
>
> Out[2]//FullForm=
> Plus[4,Subscript[2,2]]
>
> This is exactly what I don't want. Instead I want
> Plus[4,Subscript[x,y]]. Is there a way to do this?
>
> Thanks for your help.
> --
> Curt Fischer
> Tokyo Institute of Technology
> Dept. of Bioengineering